Hi Chev,
When I used to work at Gisborne, much more interest in the railway line was evidenced by railway enthusiasts. We used to get group visits by any number of these guys (never saw any of the female persuasion) that prowl around the world looking for unusual railway tidbits.
I used to have a great aerial shot of a DC3 waiting for a train to cross ahead of it (it was a publicity shot because planes always had priority) but sadly, I've misplaced it.
Those were great days. Not many trains here in the Middle East!